1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a gear shift lever and, more particularly, is concerned with an articulated joint assembly for incorporation in a shift lever to permit adjustment of the shift lever in order to reduce its height during periods of non-use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many motor vehicles, such as truck tractors and the like having sleeper cabs, typically utilize a gear shift lever which is positioned on the floor of the vehicle in the space between the driver and passenger's side of the cab. It is well known that the shift lever often prevents convenient use of this space for moving about the cab or for moving from the seat to a bunk in the cab. The placement of the shift lever is ordinarily dictated by its functional connection to a transmission mechanism to be shifted and the position of the driver in the cab of the vehicle.
Different gear shift lever constructions have been proposed in the prior patent art to provide a way to move the lever out of the way or to remove it for anti-theft purposes. Representative of the prior patent art are the constructions illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. to Cass (1,156,272), Mellin (1,283,852 and 1,301,475), Nelson (1,364,578), Hibbets (1,719,368), Schmidt (1,743,241), Hjermstad (1,908,423), Simons (4,073,199), Lipschutz (4,281,526) and Selby (4,823,635). The construction of the shift lever of each of these patents may function satisfactorily under the limited range of conditions for which it was designed. However, it is perceived by the inventors of the present invention that none of these constructions are satisfactory in terms of the performance requirements of functionality, strength, durability, reliability, and the ease with which they can be installed into existing shift levers.
Consequently, a need still exists for a shift lever construction which will permit adjustable movement of the shift lever to an out-of-the-way position during non-use.